Switching Out Your Clothing When the Seasons Change

With Spring Approaching, Switching Out Your Clothing is in Order

You won’t be needing that heavy coat or those sweaters in the sweltering heat of summer, which will be here before you know it. If you get into the habit of switching out your clothing in accordance with the seasons, you’ll be well on your way to a more organized closet. Here’s how to do it:

Donate What You No Longer Wear

When you’re switching out your clothing to prepare for the new season, you’ll be laying your eyes on every item of clothing that you own. That means it’s the perfect time to determine whether or not this is something that you’ll ever wear again. If it doesn’t fit, is out-of-date, or if you don’t wear it more than twice a season, you should donate it.

Don’t Just Clean It Out—Clean It

Look for signs of an insect infestation and vacuum your closet floor. You’ll want to make sure that there’s nothing in there like dust, crumbs, or stains from food or beverages that will be attractive to bugs and other pests.

Wash Your Clothing Before You Store It

Clean clothes are less likely to attract insects, and spots that might not be visible to the naked eye can oxidize and turn into permanent stains while the item is in storage. Either wash the clothes yourself or have items dry cleaned. Get rid of dry cleaning bags, because these can entrap moisture. Don’t use fabric softener, starch, or bleach on the clothes you’re washing, as all of these are known to attract insects.

Get Rid of Wire Hangers

Use high-quality hangers to hang up lighter articles of clothing. Keep them in garment bags that are breathable to stave off wrinkles. A garment rack with rollers will come in handy for storing clothing on hangers, and it’s easy to move it from one room to another. Heavier or knit items should be folded and stacked up.

Ditch the Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes can break down, and as they do, they’ll entice bugs and other creepy-crawlies. Try using plastic lidded containers instead. You won’t want them to be airtight since the circulation can help reduce the possibility of your clothes developing mold and mildew. For extra help, drill a few small holes in the container before putting your clothes in it.

Avoid Putting Your Clothes in Your Basement or Your Attic

Attics and basements are humid areas, which invites mold and mildew to grow and bugs to nest there. Keep your clothes out of these areas in your house, or find a convenient climate-controlled storage unit. You may find extra space in your closets, below stairs, or underneath beds.

Take Special Care with Special Clothing

If you’ll be storing an item of clothing for a long time, like a wedding gown, you may want to have it preserved professionally. You can also make sure that the item is in pristine condition before wrapping it in acid-free tissue and placing it in an archival storage box.

Attend to Your Delicates

Don’t hang up your delicates. Folding them will help them keep their shape. When you stack your clothes, lay down the heaviest items on the bottom and the lightest ones on the top.

Avoid Cedar Stains

If you should decide to store your clothing in cedar or another wooden box, line it first with a clean cotton sheet or acid-free paper. You don’t want your clothing to come into direct contact with the container, as this can cause stains.